Reigned 741-52.
Year of birth unknown; died in March, 752.Zacharysprang from aGreekfamilyliving in Calabria; hisfather, according to the"Liber Pontificalis", was called
Polichronius. Most probably he was adeaconof theRoman Churchand as such signed thedecreesof theRomancouncilof 732. After theburialof his predecessorGregory IIIon 29 November, 741, he was immediately and unanimouslyelectedpopeandconsecratedandenthronedon 5 December. His biographer in the"Liber
Pontificalis"describes him as a man
of gentle and conciliatorycharacterwho wascharitabletowards theclergyand people. As a fact the newpopealways showed himself to
be shrewd and conciliatory in hisactionsand thus his undertakings were very
successful. Soon after his elevation he notifiedConstantinopleof hiselection; it is noticeable that hissynodica(letter) was not addressed to theiconoclasticPatriarchAnastasiusbut to theChurchofConstantinople. The
envoys of thepopealso brought a letter for the emperor. After the death ofLeoIII
(18 June, 741) hissuccessorwas
his son Constantine V, Copronymus. However, in 742Constantine'sbrother-in-lawArtabasdusraised a revolt against the new
emperor and established himself inConstantinople;
thus when thepapalenvoys reachedConstantinoplethey
foundArtabasdusthe ruler there. As late as 743 thepapal lettersweredatedfrom the year of the reign of
Constantine V; in 744, however, they aredatedformthe year of the reign
ofArtabasdus. Still thepapalenvoys do not seem to have come into closerelationswith the usurper atConstantinople, although the latter
re-established theworshipof images. After Constantine V had
overthrown his rival, the envoys of thepopepresented to him thepapalletter in whichZacharyexhorted the emperor to restore thedoctrineand practice of theChurchin respect to theworshipof images. The emperor received the
envoys in a friendly manner and presented theRoman Churchwith the villages ofNymphaand Normia (Norba) inItaly, which with their
territories extended to the sea.

WhenZacharyascended thethronethe position of the city andDuchy ofRomewas a very serious one.Luitprand, King of theLombards, was preparing a new
incursion intoRomanterritory.DukeTrasamundofSpoleto, with whomPope Gregory IIIhad formed an alliance againstLuitprand,
did not keep his promise to aid theRomansin regaining the cities taken by theLombards. ConsequentlyZacharyabandonedthe alliance withTrasamundand sought to protect the interests ofRomeandRomanterritory by personal influence
overLuitprand. Thepopewent toTernito see theLombardking who received him with every mark
ofhonour.Zacharywas able to obtain fromLuitprandthat the four cities of Ameria, Horta,
Polimartium, andBlerashould be returned to theRomans, and that all the patrimonies
of theRoman Churchthat theLombardshad taken from it within the last
thirty years, should be given back; he was also able to conclude a truce for
twenty years between theRomanDuchy and theLombards. Achapelto theSaviourwas built in theChurchof St. Peter atRomein the name ofLuitprand,
in which thedeedsrespecting this return ofpropertywere placed. After thepope'sreturn, theRomanpeople
went insolemnprocessiontoSt.
Peter'sto thankGodfor the fortunate result of thepope'sefforts. Throughout the entire affair thepopeappears as thesecularruler ofRomeand theRomanterritory. In the next yearLuitprandmade ready to attack the territory ofRavenna. TheByzantineexarchofRavennaand thearchbishopbeggedPope Zachary to
intervene. The latter first sent envoys to theLombardking, and when these were unsuccessful
he went himself toRavennaand from there toPaviato seeLuitprand. ThepopereachedPaviaon theeveof
thefeastof Sts.PeterandPaul.
He celebrated thevigiland thefeastof the princes of theApostlesatPavia, and was able to induce
the king toabandonthe attack onRavennaand to restore the territory belonging to the city itself.Luitpranddied shortly after than and after his
firstsuccessorHildebrandwas overthrown,Ratchisbecame King of theLombards. Thepopewas on the best of terms with him. In 749 the new kingconfirmedthe treaty of peace with theRomanDuchy. The same yearRatchisabdicated, with his wife and daughter
took themonasticvowsbefore thepope, and all three entered
themonastic life.

In
743Pope Zachary held asynodatRomewhich was attended by sixtybishops. Thissynodissued fourteencanonson various matters ofchurchdiscipline. On this occasion thepopetook up the question of theimpedimentstomarriageofrelationshipin the fourth degree, in regard to
which theGermansclaimed to have obtained adispensationfromPope Gregory II. The year previousZacharyhad written on this point to thebishopsand kings of thatprovince. An active correspondence was
kept up betweenZacharyandSt. Boniface. The latter in hiszealouslabours had organized theChurchin theGermanterritories, and while doing this had
kept in close connection with thePapalSee. Early in 742, soon after his
elevation,Zacharyreceived a letter fromBonifacein which thesaintexpressed his full submission to the possessor of theChair of Peterand requested thenconfirmationof the three newly establishedBishopricsofWurzburg,Buraburg, and Erfurt;Bonifacealso sought authority to hold asynodinFranceand to suppress abuses in the lives of theclergy. Thepopeconfirmedthe threediocesesand commissionedBonifaceto attend, aspapal legate, theFrankishsynodwhichKarlmannwished to hold. In a later letterZacharyconfirmedthemetropolitansofRouen,Reims, andSensappointed
byBoniface, and alsoconfirmedthe condemnation of the twohereticsAdelbert andClement.
Various questions in which thepopeandBonifacedisagreed were discussed in letters. In 745 was held the generalsynodfor theFrankishkingdomcalled byPepinand Carloman. Heredecreeswere passed against unworthyecclesiastics, and the twoheretics, Adelbert andClement, were again condemned.Bonifacesent aFrankishpriesttoRometo make a report to thepope, and the latter held on
25 October, 745, asynodat theLateranat which, after exhaustive
investigation, ananathemawas pronounced against the twoheretics.Zacharyforwarded theactsof
thesynodwith a letter toBoniface.Pepinand theFrankishbishopssent a list of questions respecting thedisciplineof theclergyand of theChristianpopulation toPope
Zachary, and the latter answered in a letter of 746 in which decisions
respecting the various points are given. These decisions were communicated toBonifaceso that he might make them generallyknownat aFrankishsynod. The following year, 747, Carloman resigned his authority and the
world, went toRome, and was received byPope Zachary into amonasticorder. At first he lived in themonasteryon theSoracte, later atMonte Cassino. Thanks to the efforts
ofSt. Bonifaceall theFrankishbishopswere now agreed in
submission to theSee ofSt. Peter.Zacharysent still other letters to thebishopsofGaulandGermany, and also toBonifaceas thepapal legatefor theChurchof this region.Bonifacewas constantly inintercourse withRomeboth by letters and envoys and sent important questions to thepopefor decision. An importantproofof the recognition by theFranksof the highmoralpower of thepapacyis shown by theappealtopapalauthority on the occasion of the overthrow of the Merovingian dynasty.Pepin'sambassadors,BishopBurkardofWurzburgandChaplainFolrad ofSt. Denis, laid the question beforeZachary: whether it seemedrightto him that one should be king
who did not really possess the royal power. Thepopedeclared that this did not appeargoodto him, and on the authority of thepopePepinconsidered himselfjustifiedin having himself proclaimed King of
theFranks(cf.SAINT BONIFACE; andPEPIN THE SHORT). Theecclesiasticalactivity of thepopealso extended toEngland. Through his efforts
theSynodof Cloveshove was held in 747 for the
reform ofchurchdisciplinein accordance with the advice given by
thepopeand in imitation of theRoman Church.

Zachary
was veryzealousin the restoration of thechurchesofRometo which he made costlygifts.
He also restored theLateranpalace and established several large
domains as the settled landedpossessions(domus cultæ) of theRoman Church. Thepopetranslated to theChurchof St. George inVelabrothe head of themartyrSt. Georgewhich was found during the repairs of the decayed Lateran Palace. He was
very benevolent to thepoor, to whomalmswere given regularly from thepapalpalace. When merchants fromVeniceboughtslavesatRomein order to sell them again to theSaracensinAfrica, thepopebought all theslaves, so
thatChristiansshould not become thepropertyofheathens. Thus in a troubled eraZacharyproved himself to be an excellent,
capable, vigorous, andcharitablesuccessorofPeter.
He also carried ontheologicalstudies and made a translation of theDialoguesofGregory the GreatintoGreek, which was
largely circulated in theEast. After his deathZacharywasburiedinSt.
Peters.

SOURCE : http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15743b.htmZachary I, Pope (RM)
(also known as Zacharias)
Born at San Severino, Calabria, Italy; died 752; feast day formerly on March
22; feast day in the East is September 5.

Pope Zachary I came from a
Greek family in Calabria. He became a deacon in Rome, known for his learning
and sanctity, and was chosen pope in 741 to succeed Saint Gregory III. His
holiness was so great that, instead of seeking revenge, he heaped benefits on
those who had persecuted him before his promotion to the pontificate.

When King Liutprand of the
Lombards was about to invade Roman lands at Terni because of the rebellion of
the dukes of Spoleto and Benevento, Zachary risked his own life in order to
meet with the barbarian. Through persuasion Zachary won the freedom of all
prisoners of war and the Roman territory Liutprand had occupied during 30 years
was returned. It is said that the Lombards were moved to tears at the devotion
with which they heard him say Mass. Another time, he dissuaded Liutprand from
invading Ravenna.

Zachary achieved a great
deal with the Lombards by negotiation, leading to peace between the Lombards
and the Greek Empire. In fact, he gave the Benedictine habit to Saint Ratchis,
king of the Lombards. By contrast, Zachary's successor had to enter into the
defensive alliance with the Frankish Pepin the Short, which had the ambiguously
felicitous result of leading to the revival of the Western Empire and led also
to the protective domination of the emperor over the Roman Church which for
centuries determined the course of Western history.

This Papal-Frankish
alliance was prepared for by Pope Zachary's acquiescence in the deposition of
the Merovingian puppet-kings and through his anointing of Pepin, who had been
mayor of the palace, in 751 by the hand of his legate, Boniface at Soissons.

As a result of the
iconoclastic movement, religious and political relations with Byzantium, which
were noticeable weakened in these disturbances, grew ever looser. Zachary
denounced the iconoclastic policy of Emperor Constantine Copronymus.

On the other hand, the
Church made vast strides in the realm of the Franks, above all in Germany,
through the work of reorganization and the missionary zeal of Saint Boniface,
whom he consecrated archbishop of Mainz. Zachary assisted the labors of the
Apostle of the Germans in every way. Two interesting letters of the pope to
Boniface have survived, which give the impression of a man of great vigor and
deep sympathy. He told Boniface to suspend polygamous and murderous priests, to
abolish superstitious practices even if these were practiced at Rome, and to
recognize the baptisms of those whose Latin was extremely inaccurate (the
intention was there to do what the Church intends, even though the form was
defective). At his synod of 745, he condemned the heretics Clement and Adalbert
who had caused Boniface a good deal of grief.

On the other hand, Boniface
was proven to be all too human on another occasion. He wrote to Zachary against
an Irish priest named Virgilius, saying that he sowed the seeds of discord
between him and Duke Odilo of Bavaria, and erroneously taught that there were
other men under the earth, another sun and moon, and another world. Pope
Zachary answered, that if he taught such an error he ought to be deposed. This
cannot be understood as a condemnation of the doctrine of Antipodes (that the
earth is round), as some have mistaken. Rather, there was a heresy that
maintained there was another race of men, who did not descend from Adam, and
were not redeemed by Christ. Nor did Zachary pronounce any sentence in the
case: for in the same letter he ordered that Virgilius should be sent to Rome
so that this doctrine might be examined. It seems that he cleared himself, for
we find this same priest soon after made bishop of Salzburg, Austria, and, in
1233, formally canonized as Saint Virgilius. It seems that the friction between
the two saints was probably a result of jurisdictional conflicts and the
tension between Roman and Celtic liturgical customs. In any case, Pope Zachary
was a peace-maker and judged no man without a hearing.

Zachary was also
responsible for restoring Montecassino under Saint Petronax and himself
consecrated its abbey church in 748. The saint was known for aiding the poor,
provided refuge to nuns driven from Constantinople by the iconoclasts, ransomed
slaves from the Venetians, forbade the selling of Christian slaves to the Moors
of Africa, and translated Saint Gregory the Great's Dialogues into Greek. Since
"Zacharias embraced and cherished all people like a father and a good
shepherd, and never allowed even the smallest injustice to happen to
anyone," he was venerated as a saint immediately after his death
(Attwater, Benedictines, Delaney, Farmer, Husenbeth, Schamoni).

Saint
Zacharias is depicted making peace with King Luitprand. Sometimes he may have a
dove and olive branch over him (do not confuse him with Saint Silvester
(Roeder).

HE succeeded Gregory III. in 741, and was a man of
singular meekness and goodness; and so far from any thought of revenge, that he
heaped benefits on those who had persecuted him before his promotion to the
pontificate. He loved the clergy and people of Rome to that degree, that he
hazarded his life for them on occasion of the troubles which Italy fell into by
the rebellion of the dukes of Spoletto and Benevento against King Luitprand.
Out of respect to his sanctity and dignity, that king restored to the church of
Rome all the places which belonged to it, Ameria, Horta, Narni, Ossimo, Ancona,
and the whole territory of Sabina, and sent back the captives without ransom.
The Lombards were moved to tears at the devotion with which they heard him
perform the divine service. By a journey to Pavia, he obtained also of
Luitprand, though with some difficulty, peace for the territory of Ravenna, and
the restitution of the places which he had taken from the exarchate. The zeal
and prudence of this holy pope appeared in many wholesome regulations, which he
had made to reform or settle the discipline and peace of several churches. St.
Boniface, the apostle of Germany, wrote to him against a certain priest, named
Virgilius; that he laboured to sow the seeds of discord between him and Odilo,
duke of Bavaria, and taught, besides other errors, that there were other men
under the earth, another sun and moon, and another world.1 Pope Zachary answered, that if he taught such an error he ought to be
deposed. This cannot be understood as a condemnation of the doctrine of
Antipodes, or the spherical figure of the earth, as some writers have imagined
by mistake. The error here spoken of is that of certain heretics, who
maintained that there was another race of men, who did not descend from Adam,
and were not redeemed by Christ. Nor did Zachary pronounce any sentence in the
case: for in the same letter he ordered that Virgilius should be sent to Rome,
that his doctrine might be examined. It seems that he cleared himself: for we
find this same Virgilius soon after made bishop of Saltzburgh.2 Certain Venetian merchants having bought at Rome many slaves to sell to
the Moors in Africa, St. Zachary forbade such an iniquitous traffic, and,
paying the merchants their price, gave the slaves their liberty. He adorned
Rome with sacred buildings, and with great foundations in favour of the poor
and pilgrims, and gave every year a considerable sum to furnish oil for the
lamps in St. Peter’s church. He died in 752, in the month of March, and is
honoured in the Roman Martyrology on this day. See his letters and the
Pontificals, t. 6. Conc. also Fleury, l. 42. t. 9. p. 349.

Note 2. Many ancient philosophers thought the earth flat, not
spherical, and believed no Antipodes. Several fathers adopted this vulgar error
in philosophy, in which faith no way interferes, as St. Austin, (1. 16. de Civ.
Dei. c. 9.) Bede, (l. 4. de Principiis Philos.) and Cosmas the Egyptian,
surnamed Indicopleustes. It is, however, a mistake to imagine, with Montfaucon,
in his preface to this last-mentioned author, that this was the general opinion
of Christian philosophers down to the fifteenth century. For the learned
Philophonus demonstrated before the modern discoveries, (de Mundi Creat. l. 3.
c. 13.) that the greater part of the fathers teach the world to be a sphere, as
Saint Basil, the two SS. Gregories, of Nazianzum and of Nyssa, Saint
Athanasius, &c. And several amongst them mention Antipodes, as Saint Hilary,
(in Ps. 2. n. 32.) Origen,
(l. 2. de princip. c. 3.) Saint Clement, pope, &c. [back]